Flash Back Film Review

I have to apologize for my absence. I am in crunch time right now, trying to crank out three big papers for the end of my semester. I realize that the blog is taking an unjust sacrifice because of this, and although I don't really have time to write any new material (other than that which I am turning in to my professors) I thought I would post some old reviews I have backlogged on my hard drive. So here it is: installment numero uno of my Flash Back Film Review series. Enjoy. 

Lars and the Real Girl (2007)

Lars finally has a girlfriend, a plastic love doll named Bianca. Outrageous? Yes. It is the kind of premise that just should not work. Yet, somehow it does. Beautifully crafted by fledgling director Craig Gillespie, Lars and the Real Girl is a subtle yet heartfelt film that teeters between sadness and adoration. Ryan Gosling delivers a delicate performance as Lars Lindstrom. Proving once again that he is more than just a pretty face, Gosling draws us into what could have been a disaster. Playing opposite a lifeless doll is no easy task, but with support from a magnificent ensemble, Gosling delicately pulls it off. As viewers, we fall in love with the sweet-natured Lars, accepting his odd relationship with Bianca. The film has its awkwardness, but Gosling keeps us mesmerized with his quirky mannerisms and soft-spoken way. We come to find this less a film about a man in love with a doll, and more a film about a man grappling with his past. Bianca is simply a means to an end, a way for Lars to cope with his loneliness and confront his past. Emily Mortime is equally adorable as Lars' sister-in-law Karin, making the shared screen times between the two the film's best moments. Lars and the Real Girl is strung together by David Torn's soothing original score, which simultaneously captures and creates the film's mood. Subtle, sweet, sad, and captivating. These are the words that appropriately describe the latest addition to a new breed of independently produced love story in the vein of Garden State and Me and You and Everyone We Know.

Image Sources:

Lars and Bianca

A Week In Film: 3/22/2009-3/28/2009

Paris Is Burning 

(1990, Jennie Livingston)

If you are a documentary fan and/or are interested in gender studies, and you haven't seen Paris is Burning, go check it out. It is an interesting journey into the drag queen pageant circuit in New York in the 1980s. Director Jennie Livingston does a good job of bringing a generally unfamiliar audience into a rarely seen world. I won't say anything else about this film, but if what I've written so far sounds intriguing, then I say again check it out. What's the worst that can happen?

The Fountainhead 

(1949, King Vidor)

The Fountainhead was possibly the worst film I saw this week. The acting was almost as horrendous as the dialogue. Stiff, awkward, just plain bad. And the Red Scare sentiment was laid on like molasses--thick. Some great architecture, though, and an interesting use of backgrounds. 

I Love You, Man 

(2009, John Hamburg)

I Love You, Man is my pick of the week. I really enjoyed this film. It was surprisingly funny. Not that I didn't expect laughs from this film, but the consistency of the comedy was...well, surprising. I was laughing the entire way through, and not just chuckles, full-on laughing--laughing on the street when a moment pops into your head kind of laughing. ("Slappin' da bass." You know what I'm talking about.) And, to top it all off, it featured the absolutely gorgeous Rashinda Jones (remember: Karen Filippelli from The Office). Really a pleasure to watch and a lock for my 2009 Top Ten List. (I'm referring to the film, not Rashinda...although...)

Monsters vs Aliens 

(2009, Rob Letterman 

& Conrad Vernon)

I have to say, there was nothing special about this film. Monsters vs Aliens was pretty much what I expected: a lot of reference jokes, and some really old, really played-out ones at that. Easily forgettable overall. The 3-D, however, was spectacular. And the fact that I saw it on the Alamo Drafhouse, The Village's new Sony 4K digital projector was the treat of the night. Really, if you live in or near Austin, and you fancy yourself a film guy or gal, make your way out to The Village and check out their new projector. It is quite the treat. And the 3-D format was the perfect platform to showcase the crisp, new look. No, I swear this is not an advertisement. It's just a really nice projector.

And, I'm done.

Image Sources:
Paris Is Burning
Fountainhead
I Love You, Man
Monsters vs Aliens